


Dollanganger Questions: Exposing the Mystery of Chris Dollanganger Sr.

by Tenthsun



Series: Dollanganger Questions [1]
Category: Flowers in the Attic - V. C. Andrews
Genre: Analysis, Character Analysis, Essays, Gen, Meta, Other, Questions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 04:32:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13380246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenthsun/pseuds/Tenthsun
Summary: Just puzzling out some plot holes as I work my way up to writing a longer Dollanganger fic...





	Dollanganger Questions: Exposing the Mystery of Chris Dollanganger Sr.

**Author's Note:**

> _I first read this series when I was a pre-teen and later a teen oh so many years ago. Back then I was too naive and too sucked into the story to notice some interesting plot holes. Now that I'm an adult, and have rediscovered my love of the series - and would like to write a longer fanfic of my own - I'm writing these questions to help me with the analysis that I always do before I write a fanfic. Hope you find it interesting._

  1. **Why was there no mention of Chris Sr. serving in WWII or the Korean War?** From what I can see, Chris was married in 1940. The US entered the war in 1941 which is around the year I figure Chris Jr. was born. One excellent fanfic writer, GrayRainbows, suggests that because he was headed to medical school he got an exemption. And of course the rich can avoid the draft. But once he was no longer under the Foxworths’ protection, how did he avoid the draft?  On the other hand, Cathy says in Flowers in the Attic, that Chris Sr worked in PR for a computer firm in Gladstone, PA. Cathy didn't come along until 1945 and the war was over by then. Part of the war effort, was the development of the ENIAC computer project which, according to Wikipedia, began in 1943 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. It was under the command of the Army. However, it wasn't completed until 1946. Two of the experts working on the project did leave to form their own company which was eventually sold to the RAND Corporation I think. So it might make sense for Chris Sr to be working for a computer company since he was in the area. The question is, did he work on the ENIAC project due to proximity? I can't say because we don't know WHEN the Dollangangers moved to Gladstone.   

  2. **How did Chris change his surname?**  This ties into the question of the draft. If he avoided the draft or avoided combat by working on the ENIAC project (which is pure speculation on my part), how would he have gotten the security clearance if he was working under an assumed surname? I'm guessing he wouldn't unless he LEGALLY changed his name. I don't know how that would work or if he could do it quickly. By my calculations, Chris Jr was born in November 1942. I'm assuming that neither Chris Sr nor Corrine wanted Chris Jr to be illegitimate (because that MATTERED back in the 1950s; it could cause all kinds of problems), they made sure they were married before he was born. So sometime between 1940 approximately and 1942, Chris Sr changed his surname from Foxworth to Dollanganger. Corrine says that it was one of their old family names. I'm not entirely sure to take her seriously though. As plenty of others have pointed out before me, "Dollanganger" sounds too much like "Doppleganger", which means double or clone. WHY did Chris Sr choose that name? Is he making a joke? Is he sending a message?   

  3. **Was Chris Sr in military intelligence?** Here's an odd thought: what if he WAS serving in the Army as a part of ENIAC? Well, ENIAC would have been top secret and all personnel would have had to have security clearance. Presumably a lot of military intelligence folks would be involved. If that's the case, Chris might have worked in military intelligence (it's not as farfetched as it seems) and the Army might have been perfectly fine with him changing his surname. They could even have possibly assisted him in doing so and set him up in the job he apparently has when we meet him in Flowers in the Attic. Remember, Cathy says he worked in PR - public relations. Public Relations (and Journalism) as a profession can intersect quite nicely with intelligence work. It's a form of propaganda, which of course played a critical role in World War II but had actually really established itself as a strategic tool during World War I. Chris Sr with his "All American" looks, as his boss described them in FITA, could be a highly valuable operative. His inside knowledge of the upper class might help. Oh they wouldn't be able to use him in the Foxworths' circle. But he was a Yale graduate, so even if they had to use him in upper class circles where he was unknown, he'd still have the educational background and social graces that would grant him entry into those circles.   

  4. **Why the hell would Chris Sr work away from home during the week and not come home until Friday?** That's unusual for a marriage. Chris Sr and Corrine were still young and, based on Cathy's report, still very drawn to each other sexually. So why the hell would Chris Sr want to be away from his beautiful, sexy wife all week and only conduct his marriage on the weekends? That makes no sense and is actually rather suspicious. (Actually it suggests that for all the lovey-doviness Cathy witnessed, Chris Sr couldn't actually stand to be around his family or possibly his wife on a regular basis...)  
  
_That schedule also seems unusual for public relations._ I mean, if that's the case, wouldn't he be traveling with one of the company executives? Because he would have to drum up and clear the way for media coverage including newspapers, business publications, radio and television. Cathy never mentions Chris Sr showing up in any TV or radio coverage. Granted yes, as the PR person, he should not be in the forefront. But PR people hover in the background all the time. They also get quoted in media coverage as spokespeople. Cathy doesn't mention any of this. There are no giddy reports of dad being mentioned in a story even if only as the spokesperson. They seem to have not had a television until they went into the attic, but presumably they had a radio at home. There were also newspapers to read (unless Corrine only read fashion magazines). Chris' boss frequently dined with them and Cathy mentions him saying (I THINK) that Chris could sell anything. No one could say no to him.  
  
_So Cathy might have been wrong about him being in PR._ Chris might have actually have been in sales. That makes MORE sense. I'm not too sure why a computer company exec would need a PR person to travel overseas at that time. I don't think the media infrastructure for the nascent computer industry was robust enough to need a PR person. But they would need a SALES PERSON. And sales people, particularly people who sell enterprise-grade products (products that go to BIG BUSINESSES) would need to travel a LOT and they could have BIG territories. Chris' territory was clearly nationwide and even international. That makes sense. This is a game-changing industry and European nations were rebuilding the economies from the wreckage of World War II. In addition, per Wikipedia again, ENIAC was originally commissioned to help the Army calculate artillery firing tables. It also helped researchers looking into nuclear weapons design and use. Plus, we were in the middle of the Cold War. Western countries were probably very eager to have the latest technology to support weapons systems that would help defend them against any military move by the Soviet Union. The point is, military intelligence would want to know who was buying what. And what better way to find out, than to have a salesperson as an operative?  
  
Again, all of that could seem farfetched. But my main point is that, Chris Sr is suspicious.   

  5. **Were Chris Sr and Corrine LEGALLY married?** And if so, who the hell married them? Didn’t they need their birth certificates? How did they scoot around that? Well if Chris Sr was in military intelligence, they could have fudged all of that over for him. Once his name was legally, officially changed, he could probably pull off marrying Corrine under her maiden name of Foxworth. I've never been married and I haven't looked this up so I can't say for sure. However, I'm under the impression that you must present your birth certificate before you can get a marriage license. I don't know how closely a justice of the peace or the appropriate authority would look at such certificates. I'm assuming if they saw parents with the same surname, questions would be raised. So I'm assuming that Chris would shave had to change the name of her parents on his birth certificate as well, if only to make his father's name match his new surname. I don't know.  
  
_But it's a complication that's worth exploring._ Because if they are not legally married, then his children would be illegitimate. In the 1950s, that might cause them inheritance problems. The same goes for Corrine. If she's not his legal wife, then she can't inherit any retirement benefits he may get from the government - such as military retirement benefits or Social Security survivors benefits. Social Security was established in the 1930s and everyone had to pay into it. So what happened to Chris's social security? As his widow, Corrine should have been receiving that, especially with four damn kids. Where did it go? Did she try to claim it? It's entirely plausible that it wouldn't have been enough. But then again I don't know the law on this issue. It's worth it to ask if Social Security's survivor's benefits paid to minor children would be subject to claims by creditors. I don't know. But it's not impossible that such income would be exempt from creditors since it's going to minors. But we don't know if Corrine ever investigated that.  

  6. ****Was there an insurance policy? And where was Chris Sr's will?****  Yes, yes, we know Corrine said nothing was truly theirs. Everything was in hock and was going to be repossessed. So there was probably nothing left to leave. Nevertheless, I find it very hard to believe that a man with four children, a stay-at-home wife and a position with enough status to allow him to fly around the country and even overseas every week, would not have a will. He was a part of the Foxworth family for 3-4 years. How could he NOT understand the importance of making a will? As a matter of fact, in Garden of Shadows, it was stated that he was supposed to get 2 million shares of the company or $2 million worth, I'm not sure which. If he knew about that, wouldn't he have wanted to have his children covered IN CASE he eventually inherited that money? In the awful Christopher's Diary, Chris Jr writes that he recalls hearing his mother urge their father to fight for his inheritance (which would have made sense if you had four kids).  Presumably, then he knew he was entitled to that money. But he didn't fight for it - as far as we know.  
  
_Which brings us to the insurance policy. Where the hell was it?_ Again, this is a man with a stay-at-home wife, four children and a high powered position with a cutting-edge (computer) company. I know that nowadays, a corporation frequently offers life insurance at discounted rates for its employees. Even if this wasn't the normal practice in the 1950s, I can't imagine that it wouldn't be a perk for one of the executives. So Chris Sr SHOULD have had a life insurance policy. It just makes sense. So why was it never mentioned? Where the hell did it go? Did he truly not have one, a man who travels every single week? THAT'S SUSPICIOUS.  
  
_I can't believe that Corrine would be so stupid as to lose track of it._ I can't believe Chris Sr would be insane enough not to have one to provide for his four children in the event of his death. I can't even use the military intelligence excuse. Because if he WERE in military intelligence, I imagine SOME provision would have been made to distribute survivor benefits somehow to his children. They don't have to call it military intelligence. They could just say he was a vet like millions of other men and go with that. But Corrine doesn't mention that either. THIS IS ALSO SUSPICIOUS. Perhaps the insurers would not pay out. Cathy had exactly that problem in Petals on the Wind with regard to Julian's death. If that were the case, and Corrine had run out of time and/or had no resources to  retain a lawyer, then we can see why she wouldn't mention it. Alternatively, the insurers DID pay out but the amount was not enough to cover their bills and/or stop repossession (and presumably foreclosure on their home). So again, why mention it.   

  7. **Why didn't Corrine ask any of the neighbors for help?** Okay yes this is a stretch. Who wants the neighbors to know how bad they are doing? But things were desperate. Of course she couldn't go begging to folks. But Jim Johnston was allegedly Chris Sr's best friend. He was there the night Chris was killed. He offered to go identify the body for Corrine if I recall correctly although she declined his offer. Why didn't she ask Jim for help? Granted he made that tasteless remark that maybe Chris had "found another super-broad" (an interesting comment). However, again, he was Chris' best friend? Why didn't she ask him for help or advice or something? Maybe pride or shame got in the way. Maybe she didn't think Jim was trustworthy; that remark certainly seemed like a backhanded compliment. What kept her from at least ASKING him for help before resorting to such drastic measures? And finally...
  8. **Didn’t Jim Johnston wonder where the hell his friend’s family went?** Didn’t the mortgage company wonder where the hell they were? What about the credit card company, or whoever extended them credit? Didn't ANYBODY look for them? I'm still curious about Jim. As Chris Sr's best friend, I'm assuming the two men golfed, swam and played tennis together. Those are all activities Cathy said he liked to do. Aside from swimming, these are activities at which business deals are often made, particularly with regard to golf. Also men tend to bond with each other over work. So it's safe to assume that he might be in a job with similar status to Chris Sr's. First of all, he has to be able to afford those activities. In a 1950s suburb, I'm guessing such activities either happened at a local recreation center or at a country club. With all the materialistic pretensions the Dollangangers had, country club sounds more like it, although it's not clear that Corrine or the kids every visited any place like that. However, we did find out in a later novel that Corrine had a maid come in twice a week to do the heavy housework. So again, country club sounds more like it. Also, they had four bedrooms and two and a half baths when the norm at that time was three bedrooms and I think one bathroom. So country club looks better and better. So that means Jim wouldn't have been involved in anything non-professional, because peers tend to gravitate toward peers. Jim could be doing anything similar to Chris but the point is, why didn't he wonder where the Dollangangers went?



 

Okay, I know this all sounds crazy and really anal retentive. It's just the way my mind works (maybe I should have gone to law school...). But there are some serious holes in the Dollanganger series. Neither Cathy nor Corrine make any mention of an insurance policy. And you would think that, in Petals on the Wind, Cathy AND Chris Jr would wonder about that after Cathy's has trouble with Julian's insurance policy. Corrine makes no mention of Chris Sr's will or Social Security survivor's benefits. IF Chris Sr, as I think is possible, was in the military (as MILLIONS of men were back then), then he should have had veterans benefits going to his family. This was the era of the GI Bill when the US government made it a national goal to help returning GIs get home mortgages and college degrees.  Any returning GI who could would be a fool not to take advantage of these benefits (Note: many African American vets were barred from enjoying these benefits). So why didn't Corrine mention these either?

Most important though and sitting there in plain sight: Why the hell did Chris Sr spend the majority of his time AWAY from his family? He basically only had a wife and a family on the weekends. WHY? What healthy straight man in the 1950s with a stay-at-home wife who was still sexy and still, apparently, hot for him spends the majority of his time away from his wife? Something is not right with Chris Sr. We're letting that sunny boy scout exterior to blind us to who he is. I mean:

  * No will
  * No insurance policy
  * No Social Security benefits
  * No record of military service in the middle of WORLD WAR II
  * Altered surname
  * Away from home most of the week, year after year
  * Constantly traveling around the country and overseas



I mean, WHO IS THIS MAN? Something is rotten in Denmark or should I say Dollanganger-land. Clearly, even after Flowers in the Attic, Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday and Garden of Shadows (I avoid most of Christopher's Diary since it's just a rehash of FITA with minor valuable tidbits here and there), we still don't have the whole story...

 

**Author's Note:**

> _Well that was a little bit of a tour de force. But these questions have been aggravating me ever since they popped into my head while re-reading the series. Throughout the whole series, Chris Dollanganger Sr is treated as this touchstone of purity and light. And if we've learned anything about these characters, it's that NONE of them are untainted. We keep overlooking the fact that this is a man who KNOWINGLY bedded and wedded his half-niece and justified it as the result of their love. That's a STAGGERING moral not to mention LEGAL violation. But he did it anyway. So what else wouldn't he stop at? That got me off and running to some other red flags as you saw above. Hopefully, I'll turn all these questions into some satisfying fanfic. Thanks for reading!_


End file.
